Dear boys,
I’ll never forget, a few years back, Paulo looking pleadingly into my eyes. “Sarah, I know it’s not easy — trust me — but if there’s any way you’d consider getting a dog for Grey … I think it would be so great for him.” As your 4/5s teacher he bore witness to your canine longing, with a daily tug of his coat each time a dog passed by your class on the way to the park. “Paulo look! Look at that doggie! Isn’t he soooo cute?!”
Since you were two years-old you’ve talked about getting a dog. Knowing the majority of the work would fall on me, I’d always say, “Maybe Grey, when you are 10 years old. But it’s a soft maybe — so no promises.” This repetitive answer was narrowly satisfactory, but you’d move on. For the time being. Then something happened a couple weeks ago. One day I just came home and told Dad we needed to talk. As he looked nervously at me, I said, “I really want to get a dog — I’m ready now.” To my surprise he said OK. “I mean, how could I say ‘No’ after the year you’ve had.”
I soon realized it would take some time. Bulldog breeders in the tristate didn’t have any pups available and wouldn’t for a couple of months. Deflated, I added our name to waitlists and joined breeder Facebook groups. Then a few days later a post popped up on Iris Farms’ page. The 10 week-old female they were intending to keep was now being sold. I figured it was futile since an interested party had already responded; Still I thought, leaving a voicemail couldn’t hurt.
When an “845” number showed up on my phone the next day, my heart skipped a beat. The woman on the other line said the bulldog was still available and asked if we wanted her. Without hesitation, I put down the deposit, agreeing to pick her up the following weekend. It all happened so fast — like she was meant for us — and after hanging up the phone, I Snoopy-danced my way to tell Dad.
Let’s surprise the boys we decided. Hiding Amazon rush deliveries and puppy supplies around the apartment was no easy feat. Dad covered the giant crate box with a blanket near his side of the bed, saying it was his DIY workout bench. A couple of times we thought our cover was blown; that instance when Grey walked in our room and said, “Mom, when we get our dog, can we name it Cookie?” Dad and I froze and looked at each other like, How the heck does he know?! But you didn’t — you just always have dogs on your brain. I told you if it’s a boy dog we get someday you can name him Cookie, but if it’s a girl dog, I get to name her. Ok. Fine.
We told you we’d be visiting a farm upstate which was just a little half truth. As we rode up the long driveway that beautiful Sunday morning, Grey shouted, “I wanna go see the goats!” First though, I said we needed to walk to the farmhouse. Once inside we saw a giant crate with a sweet little puppy face peeking over. Motioning for you guys to follow me, we went over to pet her. “Guys! This is Lizzo,” I said, “We’re taking her home with us!” You both looked at me like, Yeah right Mom, stop playin. “No, seriously. We’re taking her home with us today. She’s ours.”
It took a little while for the shock to wear off and the ecstasy to set in, that we were actually bringing a puppy home. Grey was still hung up on how we managed to pull off this surprise. “So you and Daddy planned for us to come to a farm to see animals, but really it was just to surprise us with Lizzo?!”
During the car ride home Grey and I sat in the backseat, Lizzo draped across our laps. “I can’t believe we have a dog Mom! And I’m only 8 years old, not 10. … I love her so much! … I actually feel like I might start crying … I just can’t believe this day is real!” You must have said “thank you” two dozen times during the car ride. And a hundred times since.
We played tirelessly with her when we got home; doggy accidents everywhere, but none of us were bothered. “Who cares Mom, I love her even more!” Then the belly laugh came when Cash, THE MOST foot sensory-defensive person in our family, shouted, “Oh Noooooo! I just stepped in Lizzo’s poop!!” When he lifted his leg we saw the poop flattened and stuck to the length of his foot and couldn’t keep from laughing. Cash started laughing too which is how I knew, even as a self-proclaimed cat lover, he had made room in his heart for Lizzo.
By the end of the day, we found Lizzo had snuck off to the bathroom to sleep on the cool tile floor; belly up and legs extended in the quiet of her forever home. When she woke up in the middle of the night, Grey did too. “I love her so much Mom, I don’t care about going back to sleep. I’d rather stay up.” Shrugging our shoulders, we looked at each other as if to say, What in the world else would we wanna do?
After being scolded by Cash that we were making too much noise, we grabbed our pillows and moved into the office with Lizzo. Lying on the floor beside each other with only the light from the Verizon building illuminating the room, Lizzo climbed over and around us. Giggling together, I realized this dog was just as much for me as it was for you. That I would never ever forget this moment. Magically deserving of its own musical score, I knew you’d never forget it too.
The next day I brought Lizzo to MCS, strapped to my chest in a puppy carrier, for all your friends to see. That’s when we saw Paulo whose comment had continuously echoed in the back of my mind. “Paulo! Look! We did it! We got a dog!” Bending down to meet you at eye level, he said, “Grey! I’m so happy for you! You got the dog you always wanted! Which goes to show you friend, dreams do come true! Never stop believing!”
During our walk home you shared a secret. “Mom do you know that when I blew out my birthday candles a few weeks ago, I wished for a dog? But I wanted it to come true so badly, so I didn’t tell anyone. And then it came true — like Paulo said.”
Both of you have bonded with Lizzo, in agreement that she completes our family and unable to imagine life without her. It has been a pleasure watching you welcome her into our home and into your hearts. Our newfound joy and the source of spontaneous laughter and sleepless nights, she came to us at just the right time.
I love you boys.
Always and forever, Mom